Communication

Course Descriptions

COMM 1003 – Introduction to Communication – 3 credit hoursDesigned to introduce core concepts in the discipline of Communication and to demonstrate applications in professional and relational contexts. Course rotation: Fall and spring. General Education: Core – Application & Integration of Knowledge.

COMM 1503 – Mass Media & Society – 3 credit hoursExamines the role and impact of the media on individuals and society. Topics include the historical development of the mass media, along with media effects, ethics, legal considerations, and the role of Journalism in society. Students develop a deeper awareness of the media in their lives and a critical perspective to become more responsible consumers of information. Also listed as JRNL 1503. Course rotation: Fall.

COMM 2201 – Communication Presentations – 1 credit hourMeshes the world of PowerPoint and public speaking. Strategies for creating basic PowerPoint presentations will be introduced. Students will convey ideas using technologically enhanced communication. Note:This class is a general elective, but it may be used in the Communication major under the area of program electives. Course rotation: Fall and spring.

COMM 2903 – Communicating Effectively – 3 credit hoursApplies fundamental communication concepts in personal and professional situations, utilizing Lawrence Appley’s Communicating for Productivity to implement and test ideas in simulation environments. Emphasis will be placed on enhancing listening, questioning, and paraphrasing skills. Students will develop a written, measurable plan for setting attainable academic, personal, and professional goals; determine when and at what standards those goals will be met; evaluate progress toward acquiring those goals; and develop plans for additional improvement which will occur after completion of the course. Course rotation: Spring.

COMM 3103 – Advanced Public Speaking – 3 credit hoursAn intensive application of the basic skills of public speaking. Delivery is stressed as a critical component of speech-making. Emphasis is given to critical thinking skills, analysis of research findings, the impact of language on messages, and critiquing and examining the delivery and speaking skills of current political and entertainment figures. Prerequisites: Minimum grade of C in COMM 2103. Recommended: COMM 1003. Course rotation: Spring of odd years.

COMM 3113 – Public Relations Principles & Practices – 3 credit hoursStudents will learn how information moves inside and outside organizations and how this information can be used to contribute to organizational goals. For students considering careers in public relations, this course will provide initial communication planning and writing skills. For students interested in communication applications part of careers in other fields, this course will contribute to understanding communication applications in modern organizations. Course rotation: Spring.

COMM 3213 – Intermediate Public Relations – 3 credit hoursHelps students develop expanded skills in applying public relations principles and practices to case studies that reflect the realities of the profession today. As student skills expand, there will be some work with real companies as clients. Course rotation: Fall.

COMM 3303 – Group Communication & Decision Making – 3 credit hoursStudy of time interaction and communication in small-group and team situations. Emphasis is placed on role identity, listening, conflict, problem-solving and decision-making. Recommended: COMM 1003. Course rotation: Spring.

COMM 3333 – Internal Communication – 3 credit hours

Focuses on the effect internal dialogue has on reasoning choice and intention. The course explores the role that conscious and unconscious discourse plays in our effort to understand both ourselves and our environment; and thus become more effective communicators. Course rotation: Fall and spring.

COMM 3403 – Family Communication – 3 credit hoursAn introduction to communication phenomena in the family setting. Designed to help students understand how, through communication, family relationships are developed, maintained, enhanced, or disturbed. Students will learn verbal and nonverbal skills that help promote healthy family communication. Course rotation: Fall and spring. General Education: Mastery – Engaged Local & Global Citizenship.

COMM 3603 – Intercultural Communication – 3 credit hoursProvides an overview of the study of communication and culture with an emphasis on the theory and practice of cross-cultural and intercultural communication. It includes comparative studies of communication practices in different cultures and subcultures (cross-cultural) and descriptive normative studies of communication between different cultures and subcultures (intercultural). Recommended: COMM 1003. Course rotation: Fall. General Education: Intermediate – Communication; Intermediate – Engaged Local & Global Citizenship.

COMM 3723 – Great Speeches – 3 credit hoursInquiry into and analysis of historically significant orators and speeches. Themes and topics will vary from semester to semester. Students will learn to apply critical inquiry skills to the study of speeches and to discern the rhetorical and societal factors that contribute to the assessment of “greatness.” Recommended: COMM 2103. Course rotation: Fall.

COMM 4113 – Advanced Public Relations – 3 credit hoursAssigned work groups will plan and execute public relations/communication strategies for area business organizations. These plans will be expected to provide measurable gains against client objectives. Students will be expected to demonstrated exceptional professionalism, as established in the course structure and content. Course rotation: Spring.

COMM 4503 – Interviewing – 3 credit hoursA comprehensive study of interviewing techniques as applied in diverse settings, including employment, performance appraisal, health care, and human services. Students will demonstrate understanding of relevant principles and techniques through observation of and participation in a series of interviews in and out of class. Recommended: COMM 1003. Course rotation: Spring.

COMM 4613 – Creative Communication – 3 credit hoursBuilding on the Transactional Process of Communication model, students explore the use of creative communication in nonprofit organizations to target publicity, leadership recruitment and membership involvement. Units include mime, skits, clowning, and monologue. The model used in class will center on creative communication in a church setting because the College’s foundation is in the United Methodist church. Course rotation: Fall and spring.

COMM 4713 – Leadership – 3 credit hoursStudy of communication relative to values, leadership, and power in organizational contexts such as business, professional, social, educational, and political groups. Recommended: COMM 1003. Course rotation: Fall of even years.

COMM 4733 – Political Communication & Public Affairs – 3 credit hoursStudy of communication issues related to interest group politics, including how interest groups use mass media to advance their public policy agendas. Citizen disengagement and the theory and practice of deliberative democracy are also emphasized. Course rotation: Spring.

COMM 4903 – Professional Internship in Communication – 3 credit hoursA student may elect to participate in a professional internship in a communication or communication-related field. The internship must involve a minimum of 120 clock hours per semester, for which at least 80 percent of the time at work involves activities that meaningfully contribute to the student’s professional development for a targeted career. The internship must be pre-approved and supervised by a Communication program faculty member and comply with the program’s guidelines for professional internships. Grading: Credit/No Credit. Course rotation: As needed.

COMM 4993 – Communication Capstone – 3 credit hours

The capstone course gives all undergraduates in Communication the opportunity for a culminating college experience that focuses on their discipline and areas of interest and requires them to integrate concepts from a related communication course. A written report and oral presentation of that report as well as a culminating reflection paper serve as the exit assessment for the major. Communication majors only, must be taken within the last two semesters prior to graduation or with the program’s permission. Course rotation: Fall and spring. General Education: Mastery – Communication; Mastery – Inquiry & Analysis; Mastery – Application & Integration of Knowledge.